RNC 2016: Ivanka Trump terrified to introduce her father tonight

Thursday

Ivanka Trump, her brothers and half-sister Tiffany, applaud a speaker at the RNC in Cleveland Tuesday night.(Getty Images)

Ivanka Trump Kushner says she’s “terrified” of her role at tonight’s Republican National Convention when she formally introduces her father as the GOP’s 2016 presidential candidate.

Speaking to NBC’s Savannah Guthrie this morning, Trump’s oldest daughter said, “I’ve never spoken in a stadium like this, but really I just want to make sure I do a great job for him. So it’s a real honor and a privilege that he asked me to do this, and I think it’s a testament to him as a parent.”

Ivanka, 34, daughter of Trump’s first wife, Ivana, also said, “I’m really comfortable with my speech because it comes from my heart.”

She also commented on the controversy surrounding Melania Trump’s speech that contained plagiarized phrases from Michelle Obama’s 2008 speech at the Democratic National Convention. A Trump speechwriter has come forward to take the blame.

“I love Melania so much and I am so proud of the job that she did,” Ivanka said. “She’s a very private person and for her to come out on that stage and speak from the heart and share her story about coming to this country.

“This is such a personal experience for her and she shared it in such a graceful and articulate way, so I am enormously impressed with her ability to do that and have great respect for it.”

During the campaign, Ivanka has often been the Trump family spokesperson since Melania prefers to remain in the background with her son, Baron.

Ivanka with her father at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach in 2012. (Post file photo)

Related: Ivanka Trump: Not the Trump You’re Expecting

Related: Palm Beach Post coverage of the convention in Cleveland and of Donald Trump’s candidacy

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